The Good...The Bad...The Ugly of the Week...
The Good
While everyone was basking in the glory of the Super Bowl spotlight, one former NFL player and coach took a stand for former players less fortunate than the superstars who play the game for big bucks today. Mike Ditka was at the forefront of efforts to get proper retirement funds for players of the 50's, 60's and 70's who weren't paid well and have trouble getting health insurance because of injuries on the field. The players union raised the pension fund 25% in the most recent collective bargaining agreement and has promised to do more. Ditka wasn't the only one to take a stand for former players but he was the most prominent name to do so. For that he gets our "Good" award of the week. Look, life is not easy and there are millions of plain old folks that need help but you have to take care of your own. We all do and that's what Ditka did...
The Bad
There were lots of candidates for this award but the most embarrassing of all was the case involving the 21-year old son of Philadelphia Eagle coach Andy Reid. Britt Reid was charged with drug and weapon offenses stemming from an incident in which he pointed his gun at another motorist. He was arraigned on 9 counts including making terrorist threats, possession of a controlled substance and a felony charge of carrying a gun without a license. Britt's brother Garrett was involved in an accident on the same day and Britt had to be pulled away after showing up to defend his brother. Coach Reid and his wife were on vacation at the time. This might be the last vacation they take for a while...
The Ugly
We start with an update on the death of USC kicker Mario Danelo. The Los Angeles County Coroner's office said in an autopsy report released Monday that Danelo was legally drunk at the time of his fatal fall off a cliff. Brother Joey Danelo told AP, "I don't believe that he fell from the top of that cliff - no way. That's just my personal opinion. I don't believe that's what happened". Until further evidence is presented, the coroner's office is listing the manner of death as undetermined. Stand by. Now to this week's "Ugly" award. Former welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga was released from prison pending a trial on fraud charges. Mayorga, convicted last year of raping a 22-year old woman in Nicaragua, was jailed in Nicaragua on Tuesday on charges that he never paid a local car dealer $56,000 for four cars. Meanwhile Nicaraguan law allows Mayorga to remain free. This story makes you feel great to be living in America...
Today's video link is contained in "The Final Curtain" timeline from 1970...
Timeline Memories...
"Happy Trails": 1999] King Hussein of Jordan dies of cancer at 63. His son is sworn in as the new king...
"The British are coming, the British are coming": 1964] The Beatles land on American soil for the first time and the "British Invasion" has officially begun...1979] The anti-Beatles arrive in America for the 1st time as The Clash play the University of California at Berkeley (I was lucky enough to be with several Epic executives to see them open and also walk out on us when they agreed to a photo)...
"I cannot tell a lie": 1940] Walt Disney's "Pinocchio" world premieres at the Center Theater in Manhattan...
Ch-Ching: 1949] Joe DiMaggio becomes the 1st $100,000 player...
Laid to rest: 1959] Thousands attend Buddy Holly's funeral in Lubbock, Texas where he is then buried...
Recorded on this date: 1961] "My True Story" - Jive Five...
#1 on this date: 1979] "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" - Rod Stewart...
"The Name Game": 1965] Cassius Clay becomes a Muslim and adopts the name Muhammad Ali...
"Who's your Crawdaddy?": 1966] "Crawdaddy" magazine is published for the 1st time (a Rolling Stone-type tabloid)...
"It's Not Unusual": 1969] "This is Tom Jones" premieres on ABC-TV. The variety show will air weekly until January of 1971...
"The Final Curtain": 1970] "The Hollywood Palace" bows out after airing weekly for 7 years. Today's video link is a 1965 appearance by Sonny & Cher, live from The H.P. Introducing them is Milton Berle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh23Mwpe600 ...
On Fire: 1974] Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles" debuts in movie theaters...
Derailed: 1979] "Supertrain", the TV anthology debuts on NBC-TV (never bring this up in a conversation with Fred Silverman)...
"The King and I": 1981] The TV mini-series "Elvis and Me" (based on Priscilla Presley's book) begins on ABC-TV...
"I only bought it for the stories": 1985] "Sports Illustrated" releases its annual swimsuit edition. It becomes the largest regular edition at 218 pages. It's also the most read edition in the magazine's history although I don't know how much of it was read...
"Start spreading the news": 1985] "New York, New York" becomes the official anthem of the "Big Apple" (when was the last time you heard that?). When the Yankees win they play Frank Sinatra's version, when they lose they play Liza Minelli's...
Wedding Bells: 1988] Robin Givens marries Mike Tyson (what in the world was she thinking?)...
"Guilty as Charged": 2005] Defrocked priest Paul Shanley, the most notorious figure in the sex scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese, was convicted of repeatedly raping and fondling a boy at this church during the 1980's. Shanley is sentenced to 12 to 15 years but should have been sentenced to a place worse than hell...
[To ensure accuracy of dates and content, multiple reference sources are used in each timeline]...
"Happy Trails"...
Frankie Laine, one of the most popular singers of the 50's and 60's who died of heart failure at 93. These are just some of his hits: "That's My Desire", "Mule Train", "Jezebel", "I Believe" and "That Lucky Old Sun". Frankie also sang the theme to "Rawhide", the hit TV show. His variety show "Frankie Laine Time" ran for two summers in 1955 and 1956. He made his last appearance in 2005 on a PBS TV special...
Pitcher and Yankee-Killer, Lew Burdette, who was traded by New York only to come back and beat them 3 times and take MVP honors in the 1957 World Series, died from lung cancer at the age of 80. Burdette had a career total of 203-144...
"Happy Trails" and R.I.P. to Frankie Laine and Lew Burdette...
"Commentary"...
With every Celtic loss it's a good thing Red Auerbach is not around to see this. It can't be easy to lose 15 in a row but the Celtics have done that. Granted they've been without the injured Paul Pierce but if you tried to lose 15 games in a row in any sport I imagine it would be hard to do. What in the name of Danny Ainge is going on up there???
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Ashton Kutcher (29), Chris (no relation to Bill) Rock (41), Garth Brooks (45), James ("Boston Legal") Spader (47), and a special "Happy Birthday" to folk singer/disc jockey Oscar Brand (87). Oscar is now in his 52nd year of hosting "Folksong Festival", Saturday nights at 10 on WNYC 820...
"Timeline Countdown": 8 days until 'pitchers and catchers' and 42 days until spring...
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